On October 9, 2024, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory detected two simultaneous X-class solar flares from sunspot AR 3842. The first flare recorded was an X2.1, followed by an X1.8 flare the next day. While the X1.8 flare was less intense than the previous week's X9.05 event, it still generated significant ultraviolet radiation, disrupting shortwave radio communications across North and South America, as well as the Pacific Ocean.
Scientists from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center confirmed that these flares exhibited signs of a coronal mass ejection (CME), a massive release of plasma and magnetic field from the sun. The CME was recorded moving at a speed of 5176 km/s and is projected to reach Earth within 48 hours, potentially triggering a geomagnetic storm on October 12.
Geomagnetic storms can impact satellite operations, including GPS accuracy, and may affect human health, with some individuals reporting adverse effects during such events.